20 Best Clarifying Shampoos, Tested & Reviewed 2024

So you’ve been using a high-quality shampoo, but your hair just doesn’t feel fully clean? The best clarifying shampoos can help if you’re experiencing symptoms of greasy strands, dry, itchy scalp, or serious product buildup.

A clarifying shampoo is a deep-cleansing shampoo that helps exfoliate, remove excess oil, and remove buildup from hair products, says Kenna Ehman, co-owner of Kenna Kunijo, a salon in Charlotte, North Carolina. “It’s designed to lift away chemical deposits on the hair, as well as remove excess lipids,” says Paul Labrecque, stylist and colorist at Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa.

Swapping formulas is especially ideal in the summer (or if you’re a regular swimmer), Labrecque says, because it helps remove chlorine and salt from your strands and extra iron and calcium. With routine use (more on frequency later), it can help hair stay soft and shiny—not weighed down, frizzy, or dry. Stylists often use a clarifying shampoo to prep hair before a chemical treatment too. We polled stylists and Glamour editors for their favorite deep-cleaning formulas for different hair types and concerns.

The best clarifying shampoos, at a glance:Best for Split Ends: Ouai Detox Shampoo, $32Best for Sensitive Scalp: Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt, $20Best for Dry Hair: Moroccanoil Clarifying Shampoo, $26Best for Fine Hair: Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo, $30Best for Hard Water: K18 Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo, $38Best for Curly Hair: OGX Quenching+ Coconut Curls Shampoo, $11Best for Oily Hair: Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two, $14Best for Dandruff: Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo, $42Best for Color-Treated Hair: Redken Detox Hair Cleansing Cream Clarifying Shampoo, $25Your common clarifying shampoo questions, answered:Does clarifying shampoo really work?Can clarifying shampoo remove hair dye?All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Best for Split Ends: Ouai Detox Shampoo

Original photo courtesy of Glamour commerce writer Andrea Navarro

Apple cider vinegar is the star of this beloved shampoo that strips dirt, oil, and product buildup, leaving both scalp and hair cleaner. “This shampoo is like hitting a reset button for your hair,” says Glamour commerce writer Andrea Navarro. It also contains keratin to strengthen split ends; the result is softer, smoother, and shinier hair. “This is the one product with ACV that leaves my scalp feeling super clean, rather than tender and sensitive,” she says.

The TL;DR: Targets split ends while detoxifying hair

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